I like to be surrounded by my favorite things. I just need to have things around, meaningful things,...memories. I'm sure many of you are the same way. It is what puts "soul" in our kitchens. Personally, I much prefer meaningful things than decorative items selected for the design of the kitchen, but, that's also a look that certainly is viable and can be a lot of fun and of great interest, and I will be showing this look as well on these pages..

Here's what I have on my counters and also what they mean to me:

A bowl of shells - picked them up at Jenny Lake out west with my husband many moons ago.

Wooden sign with lettering on it - picked that up off the ground. It is the side of a herring box. Got it in a little island called Bornholm, when I was 16 and visiting with my Danish aunt and uncle. I knew at the time that I'd have it forever. I can't tell you how long ago I got it.

Bottles - many of these were recently acquired as my husband and I found a man who searches for bottles in construction sites in the New York area, antique bottles. He knows many details about these bottles. One by one, at the upper west side flea market in the 70s in New York, we pick a bottle up and add to our collection. These bottles will soon be filled with roses from my garden!

Shoe form - my uncle from Denmark, Thorvald, sold shoes for 50 years and ultimately met the Queen in tribute to his life's work. He's always been an amazingly wonderful uncle.

Other images are of useful items that I think look great together, the oils, utensils, a few appliances. I'm fine with that. Not everything has to have a perfect place. Bring out your precious items and put them on your kitchen counter. Anywhere.

This last image is of a vase bought at a Scandinavian auction and is by a well known ceramic artist. The painting is of a little fishing village in Denmark, near where my cousin has a summer house. This is at the area of my kitchen where I have a second sink. Nice memories...